Rookie Rumph Pleads Innocent

NFL - The Beat

San Francisco 49ers first-round pick Michael Rumph, a cornerback from the University of Miami, pleaded innocent Monday to driving under the influence, and a warrant for his arrest was revoked.

Rumph did not appear in court and his attorney, Scott Hecker, entered the plea for him, according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney's office. A trial date has not been set. Miami-Dade County Judge Beth Bloom issued the warrant Thursday when Rumph and his attorney failed to appear at an arraignment.

Miami Beach police said they stopped Rumph's vehicle at 4:20 a.m on July 6, then gave him a field sobriety test, which he failed. He was charged with driving under the influence after failing a Breathalyzer test.

ABRAHAM TARGETS OPENER

All-Pro defensive end John Abraham of the New York Jets sprained his left knee in practice Saturday, but he said he plans to be in the lineup when the team opens its season in less than five weeks.

A magnetic resonance imaging test revealed a second-degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament, and the team estimated he will be out 4-to-6 weeks. Abraham said he's confident he'll be back for the opener.

STONE OUT 2-4 WEEKS

Ron Stone, a two-time Pro Bowl guard in his first season with the San Francisco 49ers, will miss 2-to-4 weeks of training camp because of a sprained elbow. He was hurt in Saturday's exhibition loss to the Washington Redskins.

PATS GO WITH GILLETTE

The New England Patriots' new $325 million field will be called Gillette Stadium, ending the team's association with Internet holding company CMGI. The deal with Boston-based Gillette Corp. is for 15 years. The cost was not announced.

CMGI agreed to pay $114 million for naming rights to the stadium in 2000, when its stock was trading at $44 per share. The company has piled up hundreds of millions of dollars of losses and its shares are now trading around 40 cents.